District of coli muia



s'. STRONG. STREET LETTER BOX.

No. 452,224. 9 Patented 0015.27, 1891.

PATENT OFFICE,

STREET LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,224, dated October 2'), 180: L

' 7 Application filed March 9, 1374.

To (all ZU/LUIH/ it may concern:

.1 3e it known that I, SAMUEL S'rnon e, of the city of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented new and useful l mprovements in Letter-Boxes that 1 style The Round-Top Letter-Box, of which the following is-a specification.

My invention is an improvement upon my previously patented street letter-boxes, and embraces the following peculiar features: a rectangular close-jointing metallic box having a semicylimlrical or arched top with cave and gable projections and a corrugated bottom, having moisture-vents in its front or door edge, two vertical lugs on its front end, forming the'corresponding halves of the pair of exit-doorhinges, and a pair olf slotted boltlngs vertically rising from each of its side edges galso, underneath one end of; said overhanging gable root, a rectangular top-lodged and bottom-lodged slot entrance made through the front end plate and covered with a closelyhung flap-door closing by gravity; also, an internally declined slide plate projecting slopingly inward from the lower edge of said entrance-slot; also, below said flap-door a bottom-11in god and outwardly-swinging plate door closing tightly under a protective weather-ledge and over a corresponding exit-port, and having overlapping side flanges, a pair of triangular side plates or wings, a protective flange or gutter upon its lower edge, a lockstaple and hasp, and a chock-flange on its upper edge, upon which said hasp closingly engages; and, finally, upon the front side of said box a rectangular frame or time-card holder, all Of which and their purposes are hereinafter more fully described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which like letters designate identical parts of said invention in the different figures, respectivelv.

Figure 1. is a perspective view of the box, viewed from the "f ont, showing the round w ll, the lon r fro?" nd plate or exibdoor open, and rh position ol' the time card l'ramc on the from side plnlr. Fig. 2 is an elevation of tin rear side plate, viewed from the interior, showing the four bolt lmlos through which pass the clips [or attaching the box to the lanqi)-; iosi, said plate being in detail the reversed ci'innterpart ot'thc front side plate, withihe exception ol' said holes. The figure to the right is-n sect ion on the line line 1 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. I; is an elevation of the rear end plate, viewed from the exterior. the figure to the right; being a section-on the line of Fig. 23 Fig. lis a perspective view of the bottom' plate, viewed from the interior. the figure to the left being a sectioneu ill" line r 1'' of Fig. l and particularly showing i is corrugated form. Fig: 5 is an elevation of the upper front end plate, viewed from the door,- the figure on the right being a section on the line .ss of Fig.5. fll ig, ll is a section through the lower front end plate or maltreticularly showing thellange at thejbottornof the door and the shape of the wings. a view of the letter-slide, the'figure below being a section through the lintand Fig. 7,

The letter A represents said. letterbox,

ends, and bottom being castin separn to plate pieces with suitable means for securing the plates together in weather-tight joints. The top R is made-in the fennel": a semieylindrical arch, so that itslower-edges and a suitable head or molding .h-on its under side near either end'shall overlap the side and end plates of the. box,,rest on the shoulders (j and (1, formed on said plates, closely joint} protective water-shed over the bdxr-clianibei' and its contents. The side plates U ul'flfclllh structed with flanges c c at their boltinii and rear edges and at the upper part of their front edges, as shown, so as tooverlap and form weather-tight joints withthe bottom plate L and the front and rear end plates E and i). For the purpose of more lirmly securing the end and lnirioin plalos in position, thee-neckirnobs m are provided, suitably placed and projecting from the interior surface of said side plates, as slwwn. In the roar side plat nrc wo pairsol' bolt-holes pp. through which pass iln: clips or yokes that attach the letterllUX to thehinip-post. Atthe upper and lower edgcsof the side plates-are placed two pairs olf I b0ll-holcs h" h, which are in range with the .r :r and the figure below is a section. on the exterior, showing the upper or mail-deposit move door, taken ontheline Hol' Fig.1,par-

made generally of castimn, the t p, sides,.

ing therewith,aud thus produce acompletel si Fig.7 is

corresponding bollehoies jand the lug-slots Z when'the'top, bottom, and sides-are in place, and through which these, several parts are bolted or riveted together.

Upon the lower end of the rear end plate D is formed the flange d, which overlaps and closely joints with the rear edge of the bottom plate L. The bottom plate L is corrugated, as shown,its upper grooved surface serving to collect and drainaway'through the, notches or vents '2 an y moisture produced-by; condensation within the'box, and said corrugated form combines lightness, strength, and cheapnessof construction in the mosteifectiveway while protecting the mailed matter from defaoement and facilitating its removal byithe collector. Said-bottom plate is pro '-vided also'with a pair" of lugs -Z, suitably placed and projecting vertically downward from the front end of said plate, as-shown, so'as to form each the corresponding knuckle foftone of the pairs of'hinges f, by which the exit-doonE is opened and closed. Said corrugated plate is also provided with the two;- pairs of bolt'du'gs 1, one pair: vertically rising,

- as shown, from'each of its side edges, and each lug having as-imilar slot made in its upper end, as show-12,50 that whensaid bottom plate is in place said lug-slots are broughtintorange with the corresponding countersunk: bolt-holes b, above described, made .through the box sides, andby means of nut-bolts se as shown.

shoulder 0" of the side plates, and is securely held in position by the overlapping flanges of said side plates, Overhanging said slot on the outside is the ledge e, sloping downward n I I v and underly ng it on the inside is the ledge e", sloping upward, said two ledges protecting the contents of the box from rain when the deposit-port is open. Said port is also protectively covered witha top-hinged swing- I ing door H, consisting of a cast plate in the form shown having a water-sheddin g top or ,hood h and hung by the hinges h. above the iss port, so as to fall by gravity closely over said entrance, as shown, thereby protecting it from the rain, and, lastly, within the box. an in-' clined guard-plate S, between the rest m and i the knob m,is fixed, projecting from the side plates, as shown, with its upper edge closely against the bottom of saidentraucewport, over which the deposited matter slides into the i box-chamber below. The lower edge of said slide-plate may be serrated, if desired, to further prevent improper withdrawal of the in all after it is deposited in the box.

Forthe proper and convenient removal of v the man from the box the exit-port G is made Said front plate rests upon the below said entran0e port by limiting the height or length of said frontend-plate,-as

shown, thus allowing said exit port to be aboiit one-half of the lower portion of said front end. This removal-portis su tably and protectively closed by the down wardly-swmgiug door F, united to said bpttoin plate L by the hinges f, as shown. Said swinging door isprovided with the triangularly-sliaped side plates or wings g, cast in the samedoor-piece,

.which not only hold the mail from escaping to the ground when the door is swung outward, but serve to support the'door fromfalling entirely down by their top ,or inner ends ,being' checked against the .top of the open doorway, asshown. Said door-plate is also furnished along its bottom and hinging edge with an intermediate and ba'ekwardly-pmject-ing angle flange or gutter f", as shown, for preventing. letters fromfescaping through the chink or gap made between the bottom of the boXand that of said open door. The exitdoor is also closed underneath the weatherledge't', which projects forward from the bottom edge of said front end plate, as shown, and upon which is centrally riveted the hasp J, which:,,hy closing over the lock-staple j of the shut door, permits the latter to be securely padlocked; .-Said exit-door is also furnished with the side flanges f, which overlap the lower part of the'side plates, as. shown, and thus make a completely weather-tight oint. In order to secure said lower door in place the hasp-chock Zr, is provided, which, in the form of a centrallip or flange, projects from the upper edge of the door, as shown, so that when the door is closed and the hasp turned down, as aforesaid, the inner face of the bent hasp presses against the inclined front face of said chock-flange, and thus keeps'the door firmly jammed in place. For the hasp, haspchoek, and staple, any other suitable locking device maybe substituted. Against the outer edges of the rectangular counter sinlr a, made in the central portion of the frontside plate of said box, is fastened a suitable frame a, as shownflo serve as a label or placard holder and-within which to securely place any ofncial notice in relation to the mail-service,

llaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. lhe street letter-box, formed of separate plates securely bolted together, having an arched and overlapping eave and gable roof.

weather-jointed and.flangcd side and end plates, and a grooved floor, said floor being fixed within the bottom flanges-of the side and end plates, and having inoisturewents, and having hinge-knuckles on its front end, in combination with an upper mail-deposit overlapping side flanges, lock-staple, hasp,

' 57a" bed and overlapping top,weatherjointed and flanged sides and ends, and the bottom plate having; corrugated surfaces, moist-urevents, and hinge-knuckles, "in combination with an upper mail-depositport furnished 0 with" clined slide-plate, overhan ing ledge,-

and swinging door, and with a lower mail-rembval port furnished with the bottom-hinged door, having inclosing' and supporting wingplates, protective angleflange, overlapping I 5 side flanges, lock-staple, hasp, and hasp-chock,

substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

u. The swinging door having a hooded top,

weather-ledge andad joining slide-plate, sub stantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

4. The swinging door having inclosing and supporting; side plates, bottom flange, overlapping side flanges, and bottom hinges, in combination with the removal port of a street letter-box having the overhanging weatherledge, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

5. The arched roof having cave and gable projections, in combination with the weatherjoint-ing sides, ends, and grooved floor of a street letter-box, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified. A

, SAMUEL STRGNG.

Witnesses:

I. FRANKLIN REIGAR'L, A. D. ROCKAFELLOW. 

